4 . How do Paranthropus species differ from Australopithecus ? Give an example o

ID: 3483682 • Letter: 4

Question

4.How do Paranthropus species differ from Australopithecus? Give an example of each species.

5.Discuss the combinations of anatomical characteristics found in Australopithecus afarensis. What steps did scientists take to determine whether Lucy should be considered a hominin?

6.Describe at least 3 of the “cultural” innovations or behavior of Homo erectus.

7.Briefly define the following morphological skeletal traits: nuchal torus, sagittal crest, and supraorbital torus.

8.What species are each of the following “famous” fossils: the Taung child, the Black Skull, and Lucy?

9.Briefly discuss the history surrounding the taxonomic categorization of Homo habilis versus Homo rudolfensis.

10.Which species are the following stone tool assemblages associated with: Oldowan, Acheulean, Mousterian, and Solutrean?

11.Briefly discuss some of the theories surrounding the fate of the Neandertals.

12.Define the two different categories of Paleolithic art (mural vs. portable) and give an example of each.

13.Briefly define the Complete Replacement Model vs. the Regional Continuity Model.

14.What “symbolic” behavior is evident in the archeological record and associated with anatomically modern humans in Europe beginning around 35,000 yBP (Upper Paleolithic)?

15.Discuss two methods forensic anthropologists can use to determine identifying traits of an individual when all they have to work with is the skeletal remains.

16.Briefly define two of the methods for determining the age of a child’s skeleton.

17. Briefly describe at least 3 different sources of information used in paleopathology and give an example of something which can be learned from each source.

18.Briefly define Wolff’s law and give an example of when it occurs.

19.Define the tissues that make up the human skeletal system.

20.Describe two different infectious diseases and how they affect the skeleton.

Explanation / Answer

1. ANS: Hominin as a term is most commonly used to represent the extinct members of human lineage. They are Homo neanderthalensis, Homo erectus, Homo habilus etc. The Hominins are the members of Homnini family. The only surviving species today in the Hominini family is the Homo sapiens. Some of the distinguished characters that can be seen only in a hominin are their erect posture, bipedal locomotion, larger brains, specialized tool use and use of language for communication.

The following aspects of hominin can be assessed in the fossil record,

The specimen must be bipedal

The specimen must show differences from chimpanzees and gorillas like having larger brains

The specimen must resemble the later hominins in the structure of cranial bone and spine

2. ANS: Bipedalism has provided advantage over quadrupedal as it gives us energy efficient locomotion as we spend less energy on walking and running and we can do it for long distance without getting tired. The efficiency to do our work like food gathering, carrying offspring, carrying loads will be easy for us. We can avoid the predators by easily running, hiding. We can serve better to our offspring, like more than any animals, humans will take care of their offspring. With forelimbs, we can perform enormous number of tasks that no other animal on this earth can perform.

Structural changes in bipedalism:

Foot: For humans, foot is not to grasp something, but it is the structure which provide support for the entire weight of the body. So it is having enlarged heels, smaller toes.

Hip: Humans have large hip joints so that they can have better support. The large hip joints will provide support to the weight of the body which passes through it. The arrangement of hip and vertebral column close to each other is a key feature for humans to walk straight and to provide balance and is energy efficient also when you consider walking erect.

Knee bone: Humans have enlarged knee joints to support the body weight with decreased degree of knee extension to have small double knee action. This help us to minimize the energy expenditure while movement.

Leg shape: Humans have long legs or we can say increase in leg length gave them advantage to function in upright gait. With the help of these legs we will be able to push at the ankle to get the walk and it give natural swing.

3. ANS: The adaptive success of the bipedal locomotion can be explained by the following models….

1. Thermoregulatory model: The thermoregulatory model explaining the origin of bipedalism is one of the simplest theories so far advanced, but it is a viable explanation. Dr. Peter Wheeler, a professor of evolutionary biology, proposes that bipedalism raises the amount of body surface area higher above the ground which results in a reduction in heat gain and helps heat dissipation.

2. Carrying model: carrying of different materials like meat and stone tools have led to the evolution of bipedal model in humans. Charles Drawin, Issac and Tannier suggests this model.

3. Wading model: The aquatic ape hypothesis, promoted for several decades by Elaine Morgan, proposed that swimming, diving and aquatic food sources exerted a strong influence on many aspects of human evolution, including bipedalism. Exploitation for food materials also led to bipedalism.

4. ANS: Paranthropus species differ from Australopithecus

Paranthropus robustus is an example of a robust australopithecine

Gracile australopithecines

Robust australopithecines

The face is light build, forehead absent, have high bro ridges,

They have massive face, flat or dished, forehead is almost absent, and have pretty large brow ridges

Jaws, cheek teeth, and face are comparatively less massive, canine teeth are very small.

Front teeth are relatively small, but molars and premolars are massive. They have a large lower jaw.

Zygomatic arch comparatively less prominent

Prominent and protruding zygommatic arch

Small and slender in built, delicate boned, and less muscular

Sagittal crest present on the skull, which might have provided increased bone surface for attachment of large temporalis muscle

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